The number of foreign arrivals to Viet Nam hit 11.645 million in the first 11 months, up 27.8 percent against the same period last year.
The number of visitors came from Asia increased 32.6 percent. Accordingly, Chinese tourists hiked by 44.9 percent; South Korea rose by 55.3 percent; Japanese visitors up by 7.7 percent; Taiwanese visitors rose by 20.9 percent; Malaysia tourists increased by 16.5 percent; Thailand up by 12.2 percent and Singapore up by 7.4 percent.
European numbers were up by 17 percent, especially Russian tourists up by 34.8 percent.
The number of tourists of Western European markets, including England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain who enjoy visa exemption has been also increased sharply. British visitors rose by 11.3 percent; tourists from France increased by 6.7 percent; German arrivals up by 14.1 percent; Spanish travelers hiked by 19.8 percent; and Italia up by 12.8 percent.
Arrivals by air reached 9,881.4 million, up 31 percent year on year while the numbers of visitors coming by sea and land were 230,500 and 1,533.9 respectively, rose by 7.7 percent and 16.2 percent.
The Ministry expects to receive 12.8 million international visitors in 2017, showing a yearly increase of 28 percent.
The tourism industry should further speed up its growth rate to shorten the distance between Vietnam and other countries; and turn tourism into the country's key economic industry in line with a resolution No. 08-NQ/TW issued by the Political Bureau in January, said Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien.
